With a micro-mirror device, which is one type of micro electromechanical (MEMS) device, an actuator controllably displaces a mirror plate to reflect incident light in a controllable fashion. Micro-mirror devices can be used in a number of optical devices such as optical projectors, optical displays, and/or for optical communication devices. Multiple micro-mirror devices are arranged in an array in which each micro-mirror device provides one pixel for use in the display, or one bit for use in the communication device.
With many micro-mirror devices, the mirror plate attaches to the actuator at an attachment point. The surface of the mirror plate is distorted at the attachment point to allow for the attachment. Such distorted areas reflect light in unpredictable directions. As the dimensions of the mirror plate decreases, the corresponding percentage of the deformed mirror plate that is distorted to provide for an attachment point of similar size become unacceptably high. As such, many smaller mirror plates provide an unacceptably low planar surface percentage of the mirror plate for reliable reflection. Accordingly, it is desired to increase the percentage of each mirror plate that provides for true reflection.